Condensed from approved minutes

Present: Mary Anne Broshek (chair), Tina Cotton, Jerry Hersey, Nan Kaplan, guests Derek Mansell (late arrival), and Amanda Stone.

1. Correspondence received: copy of a New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services letter regarding a Wetland Program Notification to an Andover resident; easement monitoring reports from Ausbon Sargent Land Preservation Trust (ASLPT); invitation to the New Hampshire Association of Conservation Commissions’ annual meeting.

2. Guest Amanda Stone, land and water conservation specialist at the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension, joined members in reviewing the commission’s six-part “Taking Action for Wildlife” series of public events that began in June and will end in November; and in identifying potential “next steps.” These included:

• Printing and selling a year-long calendar picturing local wildlife and wildlife habitat

• Mounting a library exhibit focusing on habitat management

• Hosting more wildlife-focused interactive exercises at public events (e.g., Election Day)

• Holding public meetings to recruit property-owners interested in habitat management

• Providing habitat-related information to targeted audiences via regular mailings and through the monthly “Andover Naturally” column in The Andover Beacon

• Offering wildlife habitat programs in local schools

• Linking habitat-related messages to a local plant sale in the spring

• Offering public “how-to” sessions on conservation easements

• Promoting existing local trails (Nan to follow up)

• Creating a new trail encircling Andover village (Larry to follow up)

• Offering a geocaching event (Tina to follow up with Derek)

• Offering a “Climate Change and Wildlife” program, perhaps in collaboration with ASLPT and/or the Andover Energy Group (Larry to investigate)

• Identifying a team of citizen wildlife monitors

• Offering winter showshoe walks (Mary Anne to investigate)

Commission members agreed to develop a 2014 program incorporating some of these ideas.

3. Members were invited to participate in the monitoring of the McKenna easement on Thursday, October 10.

4. Nan reported on planning for the ASLPT annual meeting on October 20, and on a bike ride co-sponsored by ASLPT and the New Hampshire Cycling Club.

5. Members voted to request $600 (same amount as current year) to support commission programs, memberships, and member expenses in the 2014 Andover municipal budget. Members also voted to reimburse Mary Anne the amount of $45 for her purchase of a scarlet oak tree, to be planted at the Lakeside Cemetery as a part of the town’s Tree City program.